


Stuck With Me

by AbandonedGhost



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-06-09 19:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19482247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbandonedGhost/pseuds/AbandonedGhost
Summary: [ Taking Place Directly After Episode 3 ] Sean absolutely NEEDS to catch up to Daniel who is out on his own with a serious injury. He plans on doing it himself but he finds himself with a partner who he becomes extremely close to during this search for his brother. Much more close than he wanted to be. And what will that mean when he actually does find Daniel? What will the future hold for all of them?





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I know everyone is doing AFTER EPISODE 3 fics but I really just couldn't get this idea out of my head! But here's your reminder that this does in fact contain Episode 3 spoilers. 
> 
> This is going to be a short fic, maybe five chapters total. And they will all be uploaded quickly as this fic is already almost 100% completed already! 
> 
> Expect lots of fluff, angst, and drama.

“I'm coming with you,” Finn informed me as he swung his body in front of me, blocking me off.

I looked up at him with my right eye, my left was now hidden by a makeshift eye-patch thanks to the help of Cassidy and Hans – covered in gauze and medical tape from the first aid kit at the camp. I didn't say anything in response to him right away. I didn't _know_ what to say. I never did. Especially not to Finn and especially not at that moment where my mind was both hazy and racing at the same time - suffocated by my own thoughts and unable to make sense of _anything_.

There was one task on my to-do list and it was getting to Daniel. I figured he couldn't have gotten too far. He had been shot in the shoulder and had barely an idea of how to read a map. I absolutely had to find him before someone else did or before... well, before he couldn't physically continue on by himself. The thought caused my stomach to turn and my heart to ache.

_Keep moving,_ I ordered myself.

But I was held back. This tattooed disaster threw his hands up against my chest, not pushing hard enough to knock me over, but enough to keep me in my place. “Listen,” he huffed and looked down at his feet. “Listen...”

I listened. Though I was anxious and exhausted and physically drained, I chose to hear whatever it was he had to say.

“I know this is all _my_ fault. _My_ dumb idea that caused Daniel to blow his damn gasket, _my_ dumb idea to cause you to lose your eye, and _my_ dumb idea that put Daniel's life in jeopardy...” he paused. “I'm... I'm the reason he ran away. It's my fault and I'm sorry. I'm more than sorry. I'm just... I'm so fucking _sorry_ , Sean. But it's why I need.... it's why you need to take me with you.. I need to come with you. I need to help. I need to fix this.”

Finally, Finn picked his head up and looked at me directly – desperation possessing his facial features. I had never seen this guy look so serious before.

Turning my head, I looked behind me. The camp was a couple miles away by this point. I turned my gaze back to him and held it, staring into his steely eyes, trying to figure out what I should say.

He had chased me out here. There was a large camping bag slung over his back, just like mine. He was ready to follow me wherever I was headed. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about that or how to react to it. I hadn't been expecting it. Not that I'd expected a single thing that had happened in my life the past handful of months, let alone the last twenty-four hours.

“I'm not asking you to forgive me, Sean,” he spoke again and took a step back, removing his hands from my chest. “I... I don't expect you to. But don't do this alone.” He placed a warm, calloused hand on my left shoulder. He added, “Let me do this. Let me help you. Please.”

Pleading eyes met mine (well, my one) again. Sucking in a breath, I nodded and finally gave him a reply.

“Yeah. Fine.”

* * *

**10 HOURS EARLIER**

Overwhelming pain traveled through the entirety of my body and pulsated in my eye. I gritted my teeth as I came into consciousness, feeling my lungs tighten as I gasped. I was hyperventilating, the whole left side of my head felt like it was on fire. Two sets of hands were touching me; one pair was on my face, the other holding onto each of my arms – holding me still.

Fear and confusion washed through me, but not before I went unconscious.

**8 HOURS EARLIER**

When I had woken up again, the first thing on my mind was Daniel. With a gasp, I sat up abruptly. I had apparently been laying down in a nest of blankets and pillows. Feeling like I was going to vomit, I leaned to my side and heaved into the grass. Nothing came out and instead just a sob escaped me. My vision was so skewed from what I was accustomed to. I whimpered out loud, “Daniel?”

I was laying outside – no tent. Just pillows and blankets. There was a large bottle next to me with a sticky note placed on it. Scribble scratch was scrawled onto the note saying, “Drink Me!!!!”

Like an animal, I reached for the water and gulped it down. It was cool and exactly what I needed as the liquid trickled down my dry throat. “Hello?” my voice didn't project as loudly as I wanted it to. I had no idea where I was or where Daniel could be. Terrified, I stood up, untangling myself from the blankets I had been wrapped in and took a look around, trying to figure out my surroundings.

“Guys?” I called out again, hoping for a response. But it was silent.

Getting my bearings, I stretched my legs. My whole body ached. But I inspected myself and realized I was okay. Except for my eye. I touched the spot tenderly with my index and middle finger on my right hand, feeling nothing but the thick gauze. I wondered how bad it would look if I took the bandaging off, but of course I didn't dare to.

It was scary, to wake up blind in one eye. I knew it was irreversible as memories from the night before washed over me. I sucked in a breath. The last thing I remembered was my brother completely losing his shit, much like the night my father died. I remembered the room being ripped apart without anyone physically touching anything. I remembered the glass flying across every square inch of the space we were in, then everything going black.

Sighing heavily, I recounted the rest of the evening as well. Too much to process. I don't know how many minutes went by before I registered that I was crying. Standing there, outside, in a place I didn't know, just crying by myself. Trying not to panic about being half blind forever or about Daniel and Finn getting shot. I had no idea where either of them were, either. I didn't know where anyone was. “Hello??” I called again, louder this time.

“Sean,” a quiet voice came from head of me, beside a tree – Cassidy's purple braids made their appearance. I had never been so relieved.

“Cass-” I started. But she cut me off. She ran up to me and put her fingertips against my lips, quieting me.

“Shh,” she said, looking around. “We have no idea if people are going to be looking for you. We aren't far from camp but we didn't want you there in case anyone came snooping around.” She removed her fingers from my lips. “Finn carried your ass to the camp this morning and filled us in on everything.”

“Carried me?” I asked, confused. “I could have sworn he got shot at last night. Is he okay?”

Cassidy sighed. “Yeah, he carried you. Tied some clothing tight around his leg and limped your little city boy body back to home base. Guy was freaking the fuck out about your eye. It did look pretty nasty, dude. We fixed it up as best as we could as soon as you got back; me and Hannah. Penny and Jake helped out Finn with his leg. Y'all were a mess. An' I don't know what the fuck else you expected! I'm honestly surprised it wasn't worse! I told y'all that was an awful idea, but did you think to fucking listen to me?” Her quiet voice had reached an alarming level. Not that I didn't deserve it. I did, and I knew it. I said nothing.

Putting both her arms around me, she gave me a hug. Surprised, but grateful, I hugged her back.

She spoke again, just a whisper, as she continued to hug me close to her, “He also... told me he spent some time looking for Daniel and couldn't find him...” her voice trailed off.

I pulled back from Cassidy so fast, suddenly panicked. “He was shot,” I told her. “In the shoulder. How far could he have gotten?”

Folding her arms in against her sides, Cassidy looked down at the ground, into the grass and the dirt at her feet. “What'd'you expect, Sean?” She looked back up at me. “You don't know how fucking lucky you are that none a y'all died right there.”

Couldn't argue with that. “I have...” I paused and looked around. I would need some supplies. “Wait, where is the camp from here? I just need to grab some things. Then I'll go. I need to go.”

“He took the money, you know,” she informed me.

“Who?” I asked.

She sighed, exasperated, “ _Daniel_.”

“Jesus....” I put my head in my hands. “Cassidy, I need to go find him. _Now._ ”

A groan escaped her. “Come on, you hopeless bastard,” she said while turning, her hair flipping with her sudden movement. “ _Next_ time you wanna impress a guy you like, you should probably aim for something a little safer than robbin' a fuckin' drug dealer with the help of a nine year old, ya idiot.”

_That's a fair statement,_ I thought as I followed behind her. _What the hell was I thinking? Now Daniel is in serious trouble and I have no idea where he is._

* * *

I looked at Finn's leg, bandaged and bulky underneath his ripped up jeans. The denim was covered in Sharpie ink with almost no area left untouched. A total mess. Just like him.

It had been hours since I had last seen Cassidy, the camp... I wondered how much of a head start Daniel had gotten on us.

There was a lot of me that _knew_ I, logically, should be mad at him. I should be _pissed._ I should tell him to fuck off, to never talk to me or my brother ever again. But I was so exhausted. And I had so many mixed feelings about him and about all the awful shit that went down. It all happened so fast. And it wasn't like he was the only one to blame. Like Cassidy had brutally reminded me, I did agree. Me. Myself. My own choice. So did Daniel, and Daniel (I was one-hundred percent certain) would have gone off and done this with Finn whether I agreed to or not. Daniel wanted the money as either of us. Genuinely, I had wanted the plan to work flawlessly. I expected it to. Just like Finn clearly assumed it would. Because we wanted out. We wanted to be done with all of this. We didn't want to struggle anymore. And we were running out of options.

Clearly, that option wasn't the one we should have picked first. Cassidy was right.

It would be easy to blame Finn for it all. But I needed to take some of that blame for myself. I should have been looking out for Daniel. For our safety. It was a dumb fucking idea; all of it.

I snapped back to the conversation I was currently in when I saw Finn release the heaviest sigh of relief. “Thank you, Sean. I knew you'd understand. Now let's go find Little Bro.” He patted my shoulder and turned his back to me before I had a chance to say anything else.

Again, I had no idea what I actually wanted to say. But he was used to this – my silence, my constantly running inner monologue.

* * *

“Do you even know where I'm planning on going?” I finally asked him. We had been walking in silence, him a little ways in front of me (I think he was intentionally trying to give me space) for about thirty minutes.

Slowing down to a pace that matched my own, Finn turned his face to mine while continuing to walk. There was a slight limp in his steps still, which made me nervous. I tried not to think about it.

“I don't,” he told me. “But I could tell you had a destination in mind and I'm just along for the ride.” Waving his hand, he glided his fingers in the direction of the sun as he said 'along for the ride'.

Giving him a sideways glance, I informed him of the plan. “Arizona.”

Finn cocked his head. “That far?”

A crunch sound emanated from a twig I stepped on. “Well,” I looked over at him. “I'm hoping we catch up to him way before he gets there. But yes. Around 700 miles. The plan is to get to him before he gets too far away. He _can't_ be that far ahead of us. And I don't even think he knows exactly how to get there. That's if the cops don't pick him up first...” my voice trailed off, choking up. “I can't just wait around. I have to try.” A break in my voice as I said these last words. “I have to try to find him.”

Without commenting on it, Finn clearly noticed me being worked up. He placed a hand on my back. I didn't acknowledge it. “What... what's in Arizona?”

“Karen,” I replied, my gaze on the ground.

“Who's Karen?” He asked.

I huffed, not wanting to talk about this. A pebble flew forward on the trail from one of us kicking it – I wasn't sure who. “Our 'mom',” Gritting my teeth as I hissed the word, I told Finn.

“Gotcha,” he nodded. He hand glided up and down my back for a moment before he pulled it away. I swallowed hard, not wanting to admit how it made me feel to be physically comforted by him. He of course had already known a little bit of the story about Karen walking out on us from the occasional alcohol and weed-induced conversation at camp. Finn didn't press any further. I was thankful.

* * *

Pink and orange filled the sky. The sun was almost completely set. Finn and I sat under a large tree next to each other while leaned up against the aged bark. Picking at a granola bar, I tried to eat. Logically, I knew I should be hungry. We'd been walking all day and my body surely needed the nourishment. I just still felt so sick to my stomach from everything.

Meanwhile, Finn scarfed down an apple and two granola bars from what he had packed. His crunching was carried on wordlessly. I was starting to feel extremely grateful that I wasn't alone.

I picked off another piece of the granola bar and stared at it instead of putting it in my mouth. My appetite was non-existent.

“You should really eat, Sweetie.” Nudging me with his elbow, my search partner looked at me with what seemed like genuine concern in his eyes. “You know you'd make Daniel eat right now if roles were swapped.”

There was no doubt I'd force Daniel to at the very least eat this bland bar of granola if he was in my shoes and had walked as much as I had today. But my eye was throbbing and eating felt like another chore I had to push myself through. Which I finally did, after Finn's gaze started to burn into my skin.

Reluctantly, I ate the stupid granola bar. “Happy?”

With a pat on my knee, he slowly stood up. Clearly there was a bit of struggle due to the injury on his leg. “Much happier, yes.” His voice sounded like it was somewhere else. Soft and serious, unlike how he usually sounded, I assumed he was lost in thought about a subject he didn't feel like talking to me about. Maybe he was nervous about leaving Cassidy... or Hannah. Maybe he was processing being shot at, or he was worried about Daniel. I couldn't be sure. But something was definitely bothering him – understandably so.

“You really don't have to be here, you know.” Crumpling up the plastic wrapper from my bar, I shoved it into my bag that lay at my side. I stayed sitting while I continued to speak to him. I liked the feeling of the tree holding me up. An ache had started in my back earlier and the sturdiness was soothing. “I don't want you here because you feel like you're responsible or because you want to clear a guilty conscious. If this,” I stretched out my arms, gesturing to everything around us. “is all this is for you, then don't come with me to find Daniel. This could take a long time and I'm a goddamn fugitive in case you forgot. It could be dangerous or just a complete failure.”

A moment went by as I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. “And... you might end up in trouble, too. So if you're worried about me being mad at you or something... I've got bigger stuff to be concerned about, so no, I'm not mad at you. I _will_ be mad if you're coming with me as some pity act.” It was probably the first time I'd ever been harsh with him. But he needed to know that this whole task of getting to Daniel was serious shit.

His calloused right hand reached out to me, begging for me to take it. There were no words that slipped from his lips, but his eyes said a lot. Sadness encased his powerful stare. I knew that look - the look he got when he was emotional, when he craved to say something of importance but was feeling self-conscious about it. From time to time Finn had made that look during my stay at the camp; the last time I saw it was the night before, just moments prior to him leaning in and kissing me.

Nervously, I reached up for his hand and grasped it with my own. My hand felt small in his; his was full of strength and his skin was course from all the trimming. I liked how warm it felt, clinging onto mine as he pulled me to my feet.

A solid minute passed between the two of us where we were simply... looking at each other. Studying each other's faces. My eyes traced the lines of his tattoos – they accented his face beautifully. I had never experienced an attraction to anyone in the way I was attracted to Finn. Every detail of him I was aching to sketch into my book – his jawline; sharp and distinct; a hint of stubble you could only see if you were inches away from him – or his nose; burnt from the sun one too many times – or his lips; chapped but perfectly curved – he was a living piece of art.

Finn released my hand from his and with hesitancy, drew that hand up to my cheek on the left side of my face, under my mess of gauze. Thin fingers tenderly cupped my chin and tilted my face up. His breath smelled sweet, of apples and granola. I might not have had an appetite for food – but had an appetite for Finn - suddenly craving a taste of him. Even with all the crazy stuff going on, his presence helped my racing thoughts finally slow down and brake.

“Ya think I begged you to let me come with you 'cause I wanted a clear conscience?” his voice was a whisper. My heart raced. I didn't respond to him. I took his words as a rhetorical question. I swallowed. I started to feel a bit bad that he was out there, blindly following me and I chose to question his motives about it. Instead of immediately starting to apologize though, I gave him time to speak.

His thumb resting on my cheek glided softly back and forth on my skin. I tried not to shiver. I kept my eye fully attentive to his face, not wanting to glance away even for a split second.

After quickly wetting his lips, he continued. I tried not to be too distracted by his tongue darting out of his mouth for the task. His voice was once again nothing but a whisper, though we were alone out here in this wooded area of California – completely and totally alone. “I need ya to know, Sean, that I never ever ever woulda brought you and Daniel to Merril's last night if I thought -” he swallowed. “If I thought any of those things were gonna happen, I woulda never put either of ya in danger. I'm a dumbass. I dunno how to tell you how sorry I am. I don't know how to tell you how much... you both... mean to me. I was scared. I was so scared, Sean... that I was going to lose you and Daniel.”

His thumb pressed a little more firmly into my cheek as it continuously ran up and down the side of my face. “For the rest of my life, I'm going to regret that stupid fucking idea. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking – why I expected us to walk in and out with a ton of cash and go do whatever the fuck we wanted for the rest of our lives – but I fucking did.” His whisper turned into a strained whine. This was a part of Finn I had never seen before; something he was allowing me to see.

“I need ya to understand that I know getting you and Daniel involved in my weird fantasy bullshit was wrong. It was selfish, fucked up...” He looked down, dropped his hand from my face, and avoiding meeting my eye as tears started creeping out of his own. His shoulders sagged and he cried. Quietly – no sobs escaped him – but quiet, heavy tears rolled down his sharp cheekbones and curled around his jaw as they disappeared into his neck. I watched him; afraid to move or speak.

After what felt like forever, he lifted his head up again. Red eyes looked at me. “Sorry. Damn,” he sniffled and rubbed tears away with the palms of both of his hands; dragging them over his eyes roughly.

After pulling himself together again, he grabbed my shoulders and spoke calmly, quietly, “Sean, my point is, I need ya to know I meant _everything_ I said to you yesterday. I feel like we have a connection. And 'cause of that I wanna help you, for whatever reason. To the end... and shit.” Another sniffle. “I'm so sorry. 'Bout everything. And I understand your worries, man. But I promise you that I am not here to take some moral high ground. I'm here to make sure you're safe, I'm here 'cause I'm worried 'bout the little guy, and I'm here 'cause I hate the idea of you being alone.”

He swallowed hard. Finn gave my shoulders a squeeze. “I'm here 'cause I'm fucking crazy 'bout ya, Sean Diaz.”

Suddenly overwhelmed by how hard my heart was pounding, I exhaled sharply. Every beat rattled my chest. I was sure Finn could hear it, or at the very least felt the vibrations traveling up to my shoulders where he continued to grasp me.

With an obvious goal in mind, this attractive guy leaned his face towards me – his eyelids fluttering closed.

Panic shot through my veins and I redirected his coming kiss by throwing my body into his and wrapping my lanky arms around his strong torso; squeezing him tight. Burying my face into his chest, I hoped that he didn't take offense to my reaction. It wasn't that I didn't want to kiss him again – I was just too overwhelmed. A million different feelings and thoughts consumed me and I didn't know what to do with them. Thoughts of Finn and I's conversation the night before, the guns aimed at us, the money, my brother, kissing Finn, my brother, Cassidy yelling, my eye, my dad, Chris, my brother, Brody, Mushroom, Cassidy, my grandparents, my brother, the camp, my dad, Lyla, trimming weed, kissing Finn, my brother... all of these images and moments repeating and swirling into a sudden rush that overpowered all of my senses – completely taking them over.

Finn squeezed me back and combed his fingers through my hair. Occasionally, one of his heavy rings would get caught in my messy locks. _Maybe I should have agreed to that haircut._ But he'd gently pull them loose. We stayed like this for several minutes, and it occurred to me that I was crying into his embrace.

As I started to calm down, I loosened my grip on him a little but still held him. He spoke calmly, softly, “I know ya've been through... too much. We should just set up tent for the night, alright? Get some sleep. We can wake up with the sun 'n' waste no time finding Little Bro.”

Grateful he hadn't been disappointed I didn't go for the kiss, or at least didn't show it – I allowed myself to finally, slowly, pull away from him. But not before inhaling deeply and taking in the scent of him first. He smelled earthy, slightly of weed and cigarettes. It was a comforting scent, oddly enough.

The sleeve of my hoodie dragged across my eye and my nose as I pulled myself together. It was weird crying with only one eye to wipe tears from. At least the road ahead would now only be littered with half the tears it would have if I had both of my eyes...

“Finn?” I asked, looking up, suddenly feeling a wave of embarrassment.

“What, Sweetie?”

“I really don't blame you for everything that happened. It was just as much my fault. We just made a stupid decision. And... And I definitely am glad you're here... with me,” I told him plainly, feeling my face flush as I did so. He had just poured so many personal thoughts to me and it was silly that I was embarrassed just from telling him the bare minimum of how I was feeling. But it was all I could muster at the time. Emotionally and physically exhausted, half-blind, missing my brother – I was at my limit.

Surprisingly, he grinned as if I had just told him he had won the lottery. “Well good thing you're stuck with me.” Casually hitting me with a wink, it took all my damn energy not to swoon.

“Now let's get this tent going before it gets any darker,” he added seriously as he swiveled from me to the gear at our feet.


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second part added rather quickly as promised! The next part will be uploaded soon as well! Happy with the love this seemed to get so far!

**PART TWO**

* * *

Between the two of us, we had a couple thousand in cash. Enough to keep us going without too much stress – for the time being. I was annoyed to be spending anything I had saved from all those long hours of trimming, but this was important. We would need it to get food, water, essentials, and motel stops.

Our first pit stop was this little gas station called “Jerry's” - it was a small, white building. Four pumps were set up outside the shop for people to get gas. Several parking spots were open, only one was taken, and the establishment looked underwhelming – but at least it would get us some supplies.

Jerry's looked like something that was thrown on the side of the road in the nineties and left that exact way without any remodeling or changes since. I relished in the air conditioning though – it felt incredible. Closing my eyes, I just let myself enjoy the cold of the store wrap around me.

Finn snapped me out of it by gently placing a hand on my arm. “Let's stock the fuck up.”

And we did. I grabbed some waters, some PopTarts, some Tylenol, canned meat, canned ravioli, toilet paper... Finn even snagged a couple Tall Boys. “We need to decompress,” he said. The owner didn't even card us. Probably couldn't have given a single shit if we were fifteen or fifty.

Personally, my first order of business was to crush some Tylenol. An ache was building in my eye and it was starting to become a distraction.

“Cannnn I take a look at that there, Sweetie?” Pawing at my gauze, Finn was trying to loosen the tape.

“Hey!” I shrieked, pulling away abruptly. “I'm... I'm not ready to-”

“Sean, we _need_ to check 'n' clean the area every day. We don't want ya gettin' an infection. I don't think a trip to the hospital would be the safest plan considering your ah.. situation with the authorities.”

_Fuck it, he's right._ A wince escaped me.

“Sit on that bench right there,” he ordered, pointing to the wobbly seat wedged up to the left of the Jerry's dumpster. “We have extra tape and gauze already stashed. Plus we got some fresh water now, an' it'll be quick and painless, Sweetie. I promise.” His right hand raised in the air as if swearing on a Bible.

Defeated sigh. “Fine.” Plopping onto the bench, I gritted my teeth as I started pulling at the tape that hid my monstrosity away from the world.

Within about ten minutes, gentle fingers helped me remove my original disaster of a makeshift eyepatch then tenderly dabbed my useless eye with water. Blood was soaked into the original bandaging and it made me nervous, but Finn made no reaction to my eye as he helped me clean it up – so I figured nothing seriously worse had been going on with it. There was a dull sting as he poked at it for sure, but nothing that was on a pain scale over three.

“You alright, Sweetheart?” As he finished up securing and fastening my new wad of gauze, he pushed some of my hair to the sides of my face, looking at me intently.

“Y-yeah,” I said. “Thanks.” Probably blushing.

Then we were off to continue trekking South East – to Arizona – to Daniel.

“Daniel!” I hollered, just as we were about to be off the premises of the gas station.

Finn appeared shocked. “What?! Where?”

“No!” I dropped my bag to the ground next to Finn. “He's not here but – wait here!” Running back into the store, my heart pounded.

“I forgot to ask!” My heart was hammering – hammering with hope. “Mister, have you possibly seen a little boy yesterday? Or earlier today even? Skinny, dark mop of hair.” My eyes connected with the owner's. His mustache twitched but other than that he had no reaction to my outburst. “Probably bought some Choco-Crisps?!” Hiding the anxiety in my voice was impossible.

Leaning forward, the owner put his head on one of his hands, propping himself up on his elbow. “Hmm, no. Sorry, kid. Woulda remembered a little fella coming in here, man.”

_Damn it._ “Alright, no worries. Thank you... uh, sir!” Stammering, I turned on my heels and reported back to Finn.

“Cheer up, Little Sean,” he purred. “Daniel is just around the corner. I can feel it!”

My shoulders sagged as we walked into the unknown. “I hope so...”

A steady arm wrapped around me, pulling me close as we walked. _Maybe he's right._

* * *

“Can we sit for, just a sec?” Breathlessly, my partner in literal crime slumped into the ground. His chest heaved, he wiped his brow, and stretched both of his legs out with a slight groan. “Just need some water and Tylenol in me real quick.”

I knelt next to him. The ground beneath my knees was soft and grassy. Sandwiched between a double-lane road filled with a hilarious amount of potholes and towering redwood trees, Finn and I had been walking since Jerry's for five solid hours. We'd seen a few cars – no one stopping of course. But absolutely _nothing_ else.

“You okay?” I pressed one of my hands into his back, concerned.

“Mmhmm,” he replied as he ripped the water open with his teeth and downed three Tylenol pills with a huge gulp. “Leg's a little achey is all. Just need a second, I swear.”

He took this time to take care of his own wound. His leg he could do himself but I still watched over him as he did what he needed to do. My heart skipped a beat when he slid off his pants, but I felt a little silly afterwards. There was a ripped t-shirt tied tightly around where he had been shot. When he undid it, I saw traces of blood on the fabric much like I had with my own bandage – but I saw something else, too.

Some stitches – or, what looked like stitches anyway.

“Did... Cassidy do that for you?”

“Naw, I did! Nurse Finn to my own rescue,” he grinned as he poured water on his injury, using the shirt to pat it down. “Jake helped me out a bit, and Penny kept an eye on the whole thing, but I basically did the hard work m'self.”

“That must have been so painful to stitch up your own bullet wound, what the fuck!” I looked at his leg in awe.

A chuckle escaped my search partner, “Honestly not all that much worse than a self stick-and-poke, sweetheart.”

“Tattoos and gunshot wounds seem like two very different things to me. But okay... if you say so,” my mouth twisted into a smirk.

Sliding his pants back on, wound all taken care of, Finn popped back up – raring to go again.

* * *

“Room for two, um, please. For one night,” I stammered, holding out a hundred dollar bill.

After another five hours of walking, Finn and I had somehow hit the jackpot. We had finally found an area in town – with actual shops, restaurants, and a perfect little motel that we could afford without sweating too much over the cost.

“Aw, baby, this is amazing!” The queen size bed bounced as he hurled himself at it, falling on his stomach – all four limbs outstretched. “Mmmmm, this feels so goooood.” He was so happy. Closed eyes and a huge smile said it all. There was something about seeing him like that that warmed my insides – turned them straight into goo.

I wished I could feel as happy as him about the bed. Anxiety was still my main emotion and it was getting stronger every second we didn't get a lead on my brother. Barbara, as her name tag read, of the front desk hadn't seen any kids, especially not out by themselves. Daniel could be anywhere.

Popping up excitedly, Finn went from zero to a hundred as he lunged at his backpack. After a moment of scrambling midst the sounds of zippers and ruffling fabric, he raised his prize into the air.

“Diaaaazzzz, join me in having a beer, would ya?” Fluttering eyelashes reeled me in like a helpless, starving fish on a hook.

* * *

Two Tall Boys – gone in an hour.

I wasn't sure which one of us initiated it, but at some point we had started lazily holding hands – running fingertips over each others' knuckles and palms. Languidly laying in bed together, side by side, we talked. We talked about so many things. Pieces of our childhood, what our parents were like, our first crushes, our first pets...

Finn was so interesting to me because, yes, he was very attractive – but he was also much more than his appearance. He came off as dangerous, confident, and tough. But he was so sensitive and calculating when you got to having real conversations with him. And he was so genuinely sweet. The sweetest person I had ever met. A look would sparkle in his eyes every time someone else was speaking, like he was soaking up every word they said to him. He wanted them to know he was listening, that he cared.

It made me wonder if it was because he felt no one was ever listening to him – like maybe when he was a kid his older brothers would brush him off again and again. Or his dad. Maybe even Cassidy – she was his best friend but she did seem to put him down a lot, maybe even make him feel stupid. I don't think she ever _meant_ to but I think it definitely happened from time to time.

Talking about our families though had started to make me feel weepy. It came on pretty fast, too. One minute I was reliving happy memories of the Diaz household, and the next it felt like I wanted to rip my brain straight out of my skull so that I could forget everything that ever happened. Eye watering, I sat up, not wanting Finn to notice. Embarrassment suddenly overcame me and I let go of his hand so that I could wrap my arms around myself, try to soothe myself.

“I'm gonna take a shower,” I said to him, not making eye contact with him. “I'll be real quick. Just been dying to stop feeling so gross.” An attempt to sound casual as I stood up and made my way to the bathroom.

“You okay, sweetheart?” I heard him call behind me but I didn't turn my head back to him – just slipped into the bathroom and shut the door as I quickly replied, “Yeah! Fine!” in the most cheerful way I could muster.

The second I knew I was alone and safe I rested my forehead on the mirror and wept silently with quick breaths. Tight lungs burned with every little sob that escaped from me, accompanied by a churning stomach. _Everything is your fault and you're fucking around with a guy who's way to cool for you in a motel room while your brother is probably dying somewhere._ I tapped my head on the mirror and whined, frustrated with myself.

Once I did pull my head back, I decided to take another look at my injury. I peeled away the gauze and bandage, hearing a slow, sticky ripping sound. My eye looked horrific. Bruised black and purple, swollen, mutilated. Redness existed around my eye that traveled to the highest part of my cheekbone.

_I'm going to look like a disgusting monster forever. And I deserve it._ Another sob escaped me and it was louder than I prepared myself for it to be.

Turning on the shower and taking off my clothes, I tried not to lose myself to my tears but they just kept coming. _I can't even fucking cry right anymore. I just have one fucking eye._

I climbed into the shower, letting the hot water consume me. _I lost my dad, I lost my eye, I lost my brother._

My gut felt like someone had kicked it three times then stomped on it twice. My lungs felt like someone was squeezing the air out of them. I tried to focus on getting myself clean. I washed my arms, my legs, my face, my aching eye, my tangled hair... and I cried through all of it. _I just want to find Daniel._

_What if I can't find Daniel?_

_What if I'm too late?_

* * *

“Don't make me pretend like I didn't hear all that in there, Sweetheart.”

Taken off guard, I looked at him without saying anything. I hadn't thought he could hear me. Clearly, I had been wrong. _I drank too much._

I ignored him for another moment as I finished replacing my bandaging. There were two queen sized beds in the room we were given and the one I was sitting on the edge of had a small mirror hung on the wall across from it, which I was looking in – using it so I could see what I was doing. Which was hard, since I was still struggling with my new depth perception issues.

When I finished I spoke quietly. “Sorry..”

Finn gestured for me to join him on the bed he was sitting on – the one that I not that long ago was holding hands with him on, chatting carelessly, until I had my impromptu breakdown.

When I didn't move right away he spoke. “Come here...”

Within seconds I was in his arms much like I was the night before. Except now he was holding me in a bed, his chin on my head as he pressed my body into his. The white t-shirt and boxers I had changed into made me feel a little vulnerable, compared to him still in his full attire – but it was worth it. I melted into him; an absolute puddle. “It's gonna be okay,” he whispered. “I promise.” His hand glided up and down my back, slipping under my shirt a couple times – tenderly grazing my skin with his fingernails. “We will figure it out. We will figure it all out, Sweetie.”

“What if I'm already too late?” I whispered into his neck.

“Let's just take this one day at a time,” his voice drawled. “You're SuperBro. Don't sell yourself short. We'll find Daniel. You'll see.”

I wondered if he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince me.

* * *

I woke up disoriented. Blurry vision and a whole lot of confusion when I was wondering why everything looked weird.

_Oh yeah. Only have use of one eye now..._

Suddenly it occurred to me that I hadn't used my sketchbook in two days and that I wasn't sure my art would even look the same if my vision was now altered. I groaned, not wanting to be stressed out about the one thing I'd been using as a vice for coping for so long.

An arm suddenly twitched around my middle and I froze.

I was waking up completely tangled up with Finn. My back was to him and his front was to me, one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I could feel one of his dreads poking at the back of my neck just slightly.

I sighed and leaned into him, wanting to enjoy the feeling.

Before I looked at the clock and saw it was almost ten.

“Hey,” I whispered, tapping his arm. “Wake up.”

A whine. Some stirring under the blanket.

“Finn,” I rolled over, basically on top of him. “Get uuuupppp.” I stared at his face – his eyes closed, hair hair framing his already perfectly shaped cheeks and jaw.

“What time is it?” He whined again, not even bothering to open his eyes.

“Time for you to get up,” I commanded. “I wanted to leave, like, um, an hour ago.”

When he still made no movement or even bothered to look at me, I leaned down to him and planted a kiss on his cheek – out of character for my usual behavior, but I was starting to feel more comfortable with him and starting to test the waters a little more. “Fine,” I whispered. “I'm leaving without you. It was nice knowing y-”

Immediately, his eyes popped wide open and before I knew it, he was flipping us over and pinning me down on the bed – my arms completely captured.

“Mister Diaz,” he purred, a twinge of authority in his voice, teasing me. “I'm gonna have to punish you for that.”

I blushed. “For waking you up?”

“Wrong answer,” a wicked grin spread across his sleepy face. “You missed.”

Before I could even process how to react, his lips met mine – deeply, suddenly, and perfectly. It was the first time we had kissed since the last night at the camp. Over the last two days there had been so many opportunities but I had just been so overwhelmed by my nervous energy that I simply didn't go for it, and Finn had most likely been giving me some space, waiting to get another sign from me that he should make a more serious move. I think he took that little kiss on the cheek as the green light he'd been waiting for so he didn't wait to step on that gas.

Chapped lips moved against mine and hands that were originally pinning me down slowly ended up in my hair and on my face. I was painfully aware of all the bulky gauze in the way and how hard my heart was beating and how hot my face was getting and _oh my god I have no idea what I'm doing I probably seem like an absolute idiot._

As usual, my awkward vibes were unavoidable to hide from Finn and he pulled away. To make myself seem even more clueless I spat out, “I'm sorry,” again. _Idiot. How hard is it to stop talking?_

“Hey,” he ran a hand down the side of my face (my good side) while his other hand held himself up over me. “Relax. You're perfect.”

You could have cooked a steak well-done right on my face from how hard I could feel I was blushing.

Placing one more quick kiss on my lips before throwing himself out of bed he said, “Ya wanna pack up our crap while I take a super quick shower?” As if we were in the most casual situation in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I love finding other friends who are into the same fandoms and ships as me! So find me on Twitter/Tumblr/Twitch/Youtube/Instagram under ROSERIKU !


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I loved Finn. I love him. I was in love with someone for the first time in my life, and it was a guy, and the sweetest guy I had ever met. And I loved him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bit of delay. I have had a death in my immediate family and I may not be able to get the last two parts up as quick as originally planned, but I am still working on it.

**PART THREE**

Three more _full_ days went by. Walking. More walking. Holding hands. Sleeping in our tent. Trying not to stand out or catch anyone's attention. Buying garbage food at convenience stores. Occasionally panicking about Daniel. Secret kisses while out in public. Not-so-secret kisses in the privacy of our tent. Sleeping in Finn's arms. Waking up. Being pissed about having only one eye. Asking strangers if they've seen a little boy with no luck.

“I'm starting to feel like this is a waste of time,” I told Finn. We were sitting at a picnic table in a park full of plush, green grass. Kids were playing on a playground not too far away from where we sat and we could occasionally hear a shriek or a giggle. Sun beat down on us and the air was dry and heavy. Sweat pooled under my arms. I was uncomfortable and needed a shower. “We should get a room tonight. Maybe I should... maybe I should call my grandparents. See if they can help. Maybe. I'm starting to really panic. What if Daniel isn't okay?”

The two of us would be able to cross into Arizona within the day, if desired. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I made the wrong choice, went the wrong way, or passed by Daniel somehow. Time was ticking and every second that passed left my brother in more and more danger. Every newspaper we encountered I would ruffle through all the pages, looking for a hint about Daniel but also hoping not to see one – which I never did. If he was okay, he was doing well at staying hidden.

I hadn't seen anything about Joe or Merrill in the papers, either. Not that they wanted to be well-known to the public ever either.

With a hand on my thigh, Finn gave my leg a slight squeeze. “We'll do what ya wanna do. I trust whatever call ya wanna make.... both figuratively 'n' literally, I guess.”

I chuckled a bit, but my stomach was in knots. “Thanks, Finn.” I stared off into the playground, my mind conjuring up images of Daniel in all of the kids that were playing.

“Of course, sweetie. Let's go. I'm sure there's a place to stay downtown. Maybe I'll order us pizza tonight. Sound good?”

* * *

“You have a fake ID...” I blinked, staring at it.

We had been told we had to be twenty-one or over at The Harmony Hotel if we wanted a room there due to their downstairs bar.

When I thought we were just going to turn around and leave, Finn whips out a card. Shows it to the woman at the desk. Boom, we had card keys. Room 246.

“How d'ya think I'd been able to get alcohol at the camp?”

“I never thought about it, honestly,” I said with a shrug. “Hey, this may be a weird time to ask this question but...”

“Nineteen.”

I stared at him as we walked down the hotel hallway to our room.

“I'm nineteen,” he elaborated as he put his key card in. “Be twenty soon though.”

Young and naive. I felt very young and dumb and small. He was basically an adult, and I was just a teenage doofus still trying to figure out how to function properly in my own skin.

We entered the room and the first thing I did was took a long ass shower. Afterwards, I sat in the bed and stared at the phone on the nightstand for about fifteen straight minutes while Finn showered after me.

“Wanna eat something first, laddie? You'll feel better.” All he wore was a towel around his waist as I could see from the corner of my (good) eye and I tried not to look over at him because I knew if I did I would not be able to look away and it would be painfully obvious.

“Sure,” I answered him while continuing to stare at the phone in front of me.

Fortunately for my hormones, Finn put some pants on. He said something about picking up pizza and--

“How 'bout I grab us a _good_ drink for tonight? I think you need to loosen up a bit today, sweetheart. Starting to worry me. You're stressing yourself out and you don't eat very much. Plus, you're like, constantly tense, man.” In a swift movement, he stashed his wallet into the back of his jeans.

“Yeah, no shit I'm tense,” I accidentally raised my voice a lot louder than I would have liked to.

In what felt like frustration, the older teen sighed – throwing his head back and closing his eyes for a brief second. “I'm gonna go get us some dinner and booze.” A click and a slam was heard as the door shut behind him on his way out.

With a crack of my neck and a roll of my shoulders, I picked up the phone in front of me. I didn't allow myself to think – just dialed the number I had memorized while living there – somehow knowing I would need it someday.

“Hello?” Claire's voice hits my ears and I realize what I'm doing. With a desire to hang up, I push through and remind myself why I'm doing this.

“...Hi, Claire,” I say with uncertainty. “It's...”

“Sean?” she breathes into the phone.

My heart pounds. “I'm... sorry to bother you, but...”

“Oh my goodness. Sean. I'm so glad you're okay. Where _are_ you right now?”

Swallowing hard, I wracked my brain trying to figure out what to say. “I'm... somewhere near Arizona...”

Silence.

“Claire?”

“Mm... yeah, Sean. I heard you.”

“I'm trying to find Daniel,” I told her; ripping off the bandaid and jumping to the point. “I feel like he might be trying to find Karen.”

More silence.

“Claire, I need to find Karen. Fast. So that I can find Daniel. Is there any way possible you can help? I can't afford to waste any ti-”

“You're not with _Daniel?_ ” Her shriek pierced my eardrum and jumped me as I sat.

“It's a long story Claire, but no. He ran away while we were... camping. We were camping somewhere, he got mad at me, he took off. Last time I saw him we were in California.” Every word caught in my throat as my heart hammered and my stomach churned.

“I'll give you her number,” she told me, surprisingly, instead of immediately scolding me.

I almost choked on my own spit.

My grandmother continued in a rushed, tense voice. “I sent her a letter, right after you two left. I let her know you both had been here. I wanted to talk to her about... Daniel. And about seeing if she would put all of her problems behind her and... and take care of her _children_. I know it's not what you want to hear Sean, but what has been going on has been _extremely_ serious. You need a guardian. You need to sort everything out with someone instead of running away. She agreed. She called me and we've been talking. But then we just... haven't been able to find you. We had no idea where you were. She wants to help. Sean... she just wants to help. But Daniel isn't with her. We've assumed you were still together.” A heaping breath released into the phone, exhaling after her hurried explanation. “Call your mother,” she ordered me. “Call your mother and get this sorted out. Do you have a pen and paper in front of you?”

Karen – after all these years – wanted to help. I was going to have her phone number. I was going to call her, and she was going to want to speak to me. She was going to want to help me find my brother. It was... a lot to think about, a lot to process. I trembled. My voice was caught in my throat. I swallowed; couldn't reply.

“Sean?” Claire sounded concerned.

“I--” Gripping the bed sheets tight with my free hand and rocking in place, I could feel my breath get shallow as my heart continued to beat wildly. I was nervous; so so nervous. “Sorry. I just need a second.”

“Sean?” Her voice was muffled through the receiver as I gently laid the phone down onto the pillow beside me.

The bed met the back of my head as I slowly laid backwards into the comforter. Aggressive heartbeats thundered in my body and it was all I could hear. Blackness filled my vision as I closed my eye and I tried to work on my breathing; trying to calm myself down. I knew I needed to relax, to focus, to get done what I needed to get done in order to find Daniel. But I couldn't lie to myself – I was terrified of calling Karen and what would change in my life once I did.

Certainly I knew Puertos Lobos would be out of the question if she took me and Daniel back under her custody. _What will happen to Finn...?_ Plus, honestly, I had been _ready_ for Mexico. She had _abandoned_ us. I didn't want to come crawling to her...

“Sean?” Once again, I heard Claire over the phone. My breathing had steadied after taking a moment to myself so I gave in to the task in front of me.

“Sorry. Got a pen. What's the number?” Trembling, I replied once I scooped up the phone and attempted to sound... calm, confident, basically anything than what I actually was.

As we exchanged our goodbyes, my grandmother requested I keep in touch with her. I assured her I would before hanging up the phone, placing it back onto the night stand.

And suddenly it occurred to me that in my own hands, in my own handwriting, scribbled hurriedly onto the hotel's memo pad, was this seven digit number – connecting me to Karen – _my mother_.

My mind was completely blank as I dialed it.

And a woman's voice answered.

* * *

“That's her address?” Finn asked, eyes wide, as he sat next to me looking at the paper in my hands.

“Yes,” I responded breathlessly. “Yes, that's my... mother's address. And we... are... going there.” It still didn't seem real to me. I couldn't believe how quickly the plan had transformed.

Her voice had sounded exactly like how I remembered from when I was younger. Quiet, serious, straightforward. She knew what she wanted to say before she said it. No stuttering, no uncertainties. It was so weird how she picked up the conversation so easily – like she was talking to an old friend instead of a son she abandoned.

But I buried my distrust and hatred for her as she had a plan to wait for Daniel – stay exactly where she was in case he showed up. Her post office would be contacted in case he popped up there looking for her – seeing as all he had to his name about Karen were her city and PO Box. We didn't discuss it but I know we were both hoping that he wouldn't be noticed as 'the boy from Seattle' before then. We were going into this plan assuming he was physically okay as well as going undetected.

Her address was in my hands and we could be to her in just two more days.

Which meant that if Daniel didn't get to her before then... he was either not headed to Karen, or he was lost, or in trouble. I was terrified to find out... and there was nothing I hoped for more than our hunch being right and he would be at her doorstep soon.

I informed her that I would call her the next day, to see if he had shown up yet. I also informed her that when I got to her that I had 'a friend with me who was helping me find Daniel' – she didn't ask too many questions and didn't seemed too concerned about the plus one. At least not yet. I decided it was a bridge that would be crossed when we got to it.

As we sat on the edge of the bed, a warm arm wrapped around my shoulders and squeezed me tight. “This is all gonna work out, Sweetie,” he murmured into my ear. “We should celebrate. We have a plan and Lil Bro's gonna be okay.” Finn left a light kiss on the side of my face. I shivered.

I leaned into him. “You know... I really could go for a drink right now.”

Finn leaped up off the bed and lunged to the bag he'd just brought home that had been set on the table near the window. “Tha's what I like ta hear, baby.”

Half a bottle of whiskey in and we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. By this point my stomach would usually be in my throat because of nerves but the alcohol just made me warm, confident, and craving his touch in any way I could get it.

His kisses were hot and heavy, pressing into me like he was trying to melt into me. My hands roamed his back, his arms, his hips... all as he pushed his body fully against mine, carving my shape into the bed beneath us.

Finn's hardness rolled into mine and all I could feel was desire. Before I knew it, we were undressing each other. He was kissing me in between every movement, asking if all of this was okay, if we needed to take it easy.

“No,” I breathed against his lips. “No, I-” It was challenging to speak with how much excitement was bubbling in me.

Gently cupping my face, slowing down the kissing and the eager grinding against each other to a momentary halt he said, “I know you haven't done this, I don't wantcha to jump into somethin' just cause--”

I interrupted him. “I love you.” A whisper. Just a whisper. But it escaped my lips and went into the air, changing everything about Finn and I's relationship in a millisecond.

Booze had lead me down a direction I wouldn't have had the self-assurance to go down on my own. A feeling I'd been storing down away somewhere just burst out of me – I popped like a balloon – all my contents releasing into my surroundings and making it _real._

I loved Finn. _I love him._ I was in love with someone for the first time in my life, and it was a guy, and the sweetest guy I had ever met. And I loved him.

I felt my face heat as a second passed and then another with no reaction from him other than his eyes widening slightly. Starting to panic a little, I tried to figure out what to do to fix the situation. Clearly I had come on way too strong and serious way too fast. _Fuck._

When his lips suddenly touched mine in a soft, tender kiss I tried not to screech in relief. As he deepened the kiss I relaxed, not realizing how much I had tensed up in those seconds after revealing how I felt. His hand trailed against the good side of my face, the other propped himself up over me.

After pulling away from the most intense kiss of my life, he nuzzled my face and whispered into my ear, “I need you, Sean Diaz.”

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, my head ached and my body was sore. Immediately craving water, I was about to sit up, but the warmth I was enveloped in stopped me from moving. Finn's arms were wrapped around me and his forehead was pressed against my shoulder, sleeping away peacefully.

The moments of last night played in my mind like a hazy dream. But it had been real. I couldn't believe it.

Lyla would lose her damn mind if I told her what happened the night before.

_I_ was still losing my mind about what happened the night before.

My chest tightened as he shifted in his sleep. I loved being cuddled up next to him, nestled into him. I took a moment to close my eyes again, to pretend how it would be to be living a normal, peaceful life where he could just be a guy I met at school and started dating. My brother and dad still at home safe as I took a night to sneak away and spend with my boyfriend. I sighed at how simple that sounded and popped my eyes open just to study Finn again.

There were freckles on the tops of his shoulders. I wanted to kiss them but didn't dare wake him.

It was going to be our last full day alone together.

I wondered what was going to happen over the course of the next couple of days.

I also wondered what Daniel was doing that moment. Was he safe? Was he okay?

My thoughts were interrupted by my partner's voice, “Mornin' beautiful.”

Strong arms tightened around me with a hug. He kissed my shoulder softly. “Sleep well?” He asked groggily.

“Yeah,” I replied. “We really should get going though.”

Finn whined and snuggled closer into me. “Let me just lay here with you a few more minutes.”

“Okay,” I said softly. I cautiously lifted my arm to push his dreads out of his face, followed by running my fingers down the back of his neck. This type of intimacy was all new to me but I was addicted to all the new experience. Finding new ways to just touch him and feel close to him was exhilarating.

He hummed as I continued to run my fingertips over his skin. We sat there like that for a while. Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. Just relaxed silence.

Until he spoke and told me, “I love you too.”

Freezing my movements, I wasn't sure I had actually heard what I thought I had heard.

Finn must have noticed my tension because the older teen adjusted himself so he could look into my eyes. He pulled me closer to him until the gap between us was completely gone as we lay tangled in the bed together. Soon his lips were on mine and I relished the taste of him as we kissed. “I didn't wanna tell ya that until I was sober,” he said. “But I love you.”

We kissed more, and I don't think we actually bothered to get out of bed for another hour.

* * *

“It's Sean,” I said into the phone. I was using a phone at a library we had stopped at. “Is he-?”

“Yes,” my mother replied calmly. “He's here.”

My heart jumped so hard in my chest that I actually gasped into the phone. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins. Excitement, happiness, relief – all the feelings settled in my body, making me feel full; explosive. A wide smile spread across my face and I could feel my eye brim with tears. Beside me, I gripped Finn's hand tightly. I was shaking. I was so, so relieved. Daniel was okay. He was safe. We were right. Daniel was okay.

She added, “He's sick, though.” Her voice was quiet. I wondered if she was trying to hide her voice from Daniel. My heart dropped into my stomach.

“What do you mean he's sick?!” I asked, panicked. Finn squeezed my hand back and put his other hand on my thigh, looking at me in concern.

“Well,” she murmured. “The wound on his shoulder definitely got infected. I'm either going to have to bring him to the hospital or-”

“No!! No, Karen! Do not! They will take him away!” Yelling, I could sense my face getting hot. How could she suggest something so stupid? When we were this close?

“Shh,” calmly she explained to me, “I think as soon as you get here... I'll take you guys to Puertos Lobos. Where your dad's family lives. Daniel can get help there. Safely. Plus, I know his sister will take you both in. I've already been in touch with her and--”

_Whoa, whoa, whoa._ This was a lot to process. Daniel was found, but Daniel was hurt. He was in danger. He could die. And now we had our long lost mother suggesting she smuggle us over the border to Mexico and live with some long lost aunt. I found myself thinking again, _What about Finn?_

Breathing heavy, I realized I had spaced out on half of the things she had said. “Does he know I'm coming?” I asked curiously.

“Yes. Uh. He knows. He's resting right now. He's exhausted. He thought he killed you...” she told me solemnly.

“Oh... oh no. Poor Daniel...” I crumbled. Crying into the phone, I tried to keep my cool. I was once again overwhelmed by lots of information and bombarded with sudden life changes. Karen stayed silent, probably not having any idea how to comfort a son she hadn't spoken to in years, while Finn held me and rocked my gently.

“Sorry,” I sniffled into the phone. “I'm just. I--”

“I know, Sean,” Karen said. She cleared her throat. “It's an awful lot to process. You're handling everything so well. Daniel is so lucky to have a brother like you. I know I was awful, Sean, but I need you to know how proud I am of you.”

Of course, I started crying again. Less aggressively this time. But the lump in my throat made it hard to speak. “Will Daniel be okay until...”

“Yes, I am doing what I can and he's already doing much better than when I first saw him. He's so happy you're alive, you know. And is the friend you're with named... Finn by chance?”

“Yeah,” I said sheepishly. “I'm assuming Daniel thought he..?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “Glad he's okay. I'll let Daniel know. I just want him to sleep right now.”

“Absolutely,” I told her. As much as I had wanted to speak to Daniel, now that I knew he was safe I just wanted him to rest and heal. “We will be there soon.”

“Great. I'll get things arranged with your aunt and... we should head out shortly after you arrive. We don't want to waste any time with Daniel that we don't have to.” Karen sounded so serious, prepared, and put-together. I was kind of in awe at how much she was able to make happen so fast.

“Okay...” I swallowed. “I hear you.”

“Thank you, Sean. I'll see you soon. Seriously – I'm proud of you. Everything is going to work out fine.” Her voice wavered. I wondered if she was getting emotional and trying to hide it for some reason.

“Yeah. Thanks... Mom,” I said before hanging up.

I let out a slow, tense breath.

“Whoa,” Finn said, still hugging me close. “Fill me in, Sweetie?”


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bit of delay! Family stuff. Thanks for all the love and support of this fic!

“This... is it,” I said breathlessly, Finn's hand was clutched tightly in my own. “Two-thirty one. This is her house.”

It was white and gray, small, probably just a two bedroom with a simple layout. I was only looking at it from the outside and could only imagine what it might look like on the inside. Which I was sure I would learn the answer to soon – the thought made me sick with nerves.

“Daniel's in there,” I whispered to Finn. I wasn't sure why I was whispering. We were outside, on the opposite side of the street from her house. I had been holding a tiny travel guide we had picked up at the local convenience store in her town. This was our final stop.

Squeezing Finn's hand, I shifted so that I was leaning into him, my cheek hitting the side of his arm. I added, “I have no idea how things are about to go... what's gonna happen to me, to us.”

“I know, Sweetie,” his words were soft, sad. “But ya did it, didn't ya?” A pause to kiss my forehead before he continued speaking. “We came all this way, started with a hunch. And now you're here...”

“Finn,” I breathed heavily into his arm, my heart sinking low into my stomach. “There was something I didn't tell you.”

“What's that?” A wavering voice, unsure.

“I...” I swallowed. “My mom, she...”

_How do I drop this bomb? I should have talked to him before. Earlier this morning, or last night. Or right when I made the phone call and he asked me to fill him in. Yeah. What the fuck am I doing?_

“What?” He sounded more concerned now, his tone dropping.

“Okay,” Huffing, I swiveled around to face him, one of my hands still clutching his. “I'm just gonna say this really fast.” I let out a long exhale.

“My mom is sending my brother and I to my aunt's... in Puerto Lobos. The only way to keep Daniel safe with his... problem...” Licking my chapped lips, I looked into my partner's eyes. Ready to beg. “Come with us. Come to Puerto Lobos with us. I know it seems crazy, maybe, but after everything that's happened? You could have what you want, what you've really been looking for. And I don't mean just drinks on the beach, but you definitely would have that too... you'll have people who will stick with you. A family. Daniel adores you. You're the cooler brother that he always wanted.”

Finn stared back into my eyes, absorbing everything I was saying. His face showed countless emotions as he flipped through his thoughts and feelings about being asked to run off to another country with someone who was an actual wanted fugitive.

I couldn't stand the moments that passed in silence.

“Say something,” I pleaded, stepping closer into him. “I know it's crazy. But just... say something. I'm sorry I'm dropping this on you now. I was nervous.”

Seeing Finn clench and un-clench his jaw made my heart hammer wildly.

“To the end and shit, right?” he smiled, finally. Making relief wash through me. “Plus, I care about the little dude too. And I've never had the chance to go to Mexico.” He winked. “So it looks like you're stuck with me.”

Throwing my arms around him, even with the map still in one of my hands, I squeezed him tightly, nuzzling my head into his chest. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I don't know why I thought maybe you'd...”

“Shh,” Finn wound his hand through my hair, his other hand on my back. “Relax. Lots of stuff going on, ya know?”

“Mmm,” I mumbled into his shirt. “Yeah.”

“Should we get on with this then?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, looking up at him, my chin resting on his chest. “Yeah.”

“Sean?”

“Hmm?” I pulled back from the embrace.

“Why don't ya handle all the... family stuff... without me? I'll stay out here until you're done. Smoke a little, or something...” His words sounded distant, somewhere else.

“Y... yeah, if that's what you want, I guess. I did tell Karen you were with me... and Daniel would be so excited to see you,” I stepped back.

“I know, I know. I just feel like you guys need a bit of alone time. I'll be right here,” he said softly, touching my cheek affectionately.

“Okay,” I responded, leaning into his touch.

“Now go in there,” he gestured to the house behind me. The house that was Karen's. The house that was my mom's. I had no idea what kind of conversation awaited me in there. I had no idea how I would feel seeing her face to face again. Or how much I would feel when I finally was able to see Daniel again.

“I love you,” a simple confession uttered as he leaned in to kiss me.

Returning the kiss, I felt my insides explode. I wasn't sure how Finn could affect me so much, so intensely, but he did. Everything in me lit up whenever we touched. “I love you too,” I told him, giddiness in my voice that I should have been embarrassed by, but honestly wasn't.

A surge of excitement pulsed through me. Finn had given me the courage to go in there and talk to my mom and brother. And a new, much safer life was on the horizon. For all of us. I couldn't be happier with how things were turning out, how they were going. We were all going to have a happy ending – and after everything we'd all went through, I was ecstatic. Soon there would be no more running. No more overwhelming terror at the idea of being recognized. No more sleeping on the ground or in shady motels.

As if he was both the moon and the sun and the embodiment of all things made of wonder and beauty, I studied Finn. I took in his face, his figure, and experienced pure bliss knowing that I got to have this person by my side, loving me, choosing me over the life he had just a handful of days ago. I was so lucky. So thankful.

“Alright,” I sighed. “Better get in there. Be back out soon.”

“Yeah.” With a nod and soft smile, he pulled out a cigarette and that was my queue to finally turn on my heels and walked to the house that sheltered my brother and mother, as foreign as that idea sounded to me.

* * *

“Sean,” Karen greeted me as she opened the door. Her eyes were glistening with tears, her face etched in exhaustion. “Sean, you made it.”

“Sean?!” A voice behind her, an incredibly familiar voice, a voice I had been aching to hear for days, afraid I would never hear again. “Sean?!?”

Before I could reply to Karen, she was being shoved out of the way as my brother ran full speed past her and into my arms. “I'm sorry,” he whined as I hugged him close. “I'm sorry, Sean, I didn't mean to! I didn't mean for-”

“Hey, Enano, it's okay. It's all okay now,” I murmured into his hair as we swayed back and forth on the doorstep, hugging each other so tightly it almost hurt.

“Your eye,” he whined as he pulled away and looked up at me. “I'm sorry, Sean.”

“I know it wasn't on purpose,” I squeezed his uninjured with my free hand. “Don't worry about it. How are you doing?” I eyed him up and down, focusing on the shoulder that was injured.

“MUCH better than I was,” he told me proudly. “I got a little sick but I found Mom and I slept a long time and now I feel a lot better!”

I chuckled happily, ecstatic to hear the happiness in his voice. “That's great, Daniel. I was worried.”

“Hey, where's Finn?” He asked, looking behind me, his little head bobbing to either side of my body.

“Uhh,” I whipped around. Didn't see Finn across the street anymore. “He's probably just out of eyeshot. He said he'd wait for us for a bit while I talked to you guys. Might be walking around the block. You know how restless he gets.”

“Is he coming with us?” Daniel asked hopefully.

“Yes,” I was pleased to tell him.

Daniel cheered and turned back to Karen. “Finn's awesome,” he told her.

“I'm sure he is,” she smiled. I noticed tear streaks drying on her cheeks. She had been watching us and I imagine it was a lot for her, I guess. After all this time. Reluctantly I was giving in to the idea of genuinely forgiving her.

Daniel jumped up through her doorway and I followed him this time, my mother stepping off to the left so we could walk in. She shut the door behind us with a soft 'click' and I cleared my throat in anticipation.

“We have an hour,” she told me. “I bought you some stuff already, Sean. Well, for both you and Daniel. Already stored in the car.”

“We have to leave that quickly?” I asked, nerves bouncing around in my stomach. _This is really happening._

“Yes. We can't waste anymore time. We can't risk people seeing you two here,” she told me, seriousness dripping in her voice. “I can't fathom what would happen if they knew you were here...”

“Mom, can I ask you something in private, really quick?” I asked, my brows knit in stress at the lack of time I realized I had for questions I wanted to ask her.

She hesitated, was surprised, obviously. “Yes,” she finally said. “My bedroom, come on.”

“Hey!” Daniel protested.

“It's okay, Daniel,” I pleaded with him. “Just boring adult stuff.”

He rolled his eyes but eventually padded into the kitchen instead of fighting it.

* * *

We had spent around forty minutes discussing the details of what had happened and what was to happen thoroughly. I mostly had wanted to speak to Karen about Daniel's powers, where they could have come from. What to do about them and what they have already done.

She was very level-headed during our conversation. More logical than dramatic. But at the end of it all, it was just very clear we needed to prioritize keeping Daniel under the radar. Mexico really was what was best for him even though he might not want to move away from everyone and everything he knew.

His mom had no idea why or where the power could have manifested in Daniel.

But she believed everything I confided in her about, didn't make me feel ridiculous like I was afraid she might.

Then she told me, “I think your aunt might know more about this stuff than I do...”

Was it on Dad's side? Did his family have some sort of... supernatural shit in their genes?

I wouldn't know until I talked to her about it. All I knew was Daniel was going to be protected and looked over where we were going. _One thing at a time._

* * *

The car was running. Our supplies and necessities lay inside it. And I jogged across the street while my mother and brother waited, so I could grab Finn.

But he wasn't anywhere.

“Finn!” I called, looking maniacal I'm sure, as I passed people on the sidewalk. I ducked around the trees in the small park area, peered inside two of the stores on the stretch. He was not anywhere. My heart raced as I began to fully panic. Was he in trouble? Did he leave me on purpose? If so, why the sudden change?

“Finn!” I called out again, feeling like I was going to vomit. My mother wouldn't wait for me much longer. “Finn!” We were leaving the country. I couldn't go without him, without at least knowing he was okay. “Finn!!” A crack in my voice.

I stopped cold in my tracks when I finally saw him – crouched against the trunk of a tree. He was crying, sobbing actually. His bag lay beside him and his chest was heaving madly. “Finn!” I called again, running to his side.

“What's going on? Are you okay?” I questioned, dropping to my knees and touching his face, his arms. “What's going on, we gotta go! We gotta go _now!_ ”

His voice cracked. “I'm not going, Sean.” He shook his head quickly, dipping his chin into his chest, his voice cracking. “I can't.”

“What?!” I was in full panic mode. “What? Finn. I need you. What about “to the end and shit”? Isn't that what you said? What did I do? What changed in the last _hour?_ ”

My partner groaned, his eyes closed tightly. “Ya didn't do anything.” Exhaustion in his voice. My heart broke.

“Finn...” I whined. I was ready to beg, to pleade. _Don't leave me. After everything we've been through. I thought you weren't going to leave me._ “We want you to come with us. You'll have a home.”

Shaking his head again and continuing to keep his eyes squeezed closed he told me, “I can't.”

Panicked, I burst into tears. Daniel was waiting for me. I didn't have much time. “Please. Please, Finn. I love you. Don't do this. Why are you doing this? Why can't you suddenly come?”

I was whining. Fuck, I knew I sounded pathetic. But it was what I was – pathetic. “Finn...”

As I cried, he opened his eyes slowly, looking into my one eye. Finn seemed to be studying my face. I didn't like it.

His voice was hoarse. “You're gonna wake up one day and you're not gonna feel like this about me.”

“What?!” I asked, baffled. Sniffling, I rubbed at my face. “What are you talking about?”

“Sean, you belong with someone better for ya. You're gonna wake up one morning and realize that, too. I don't wanna stick around and wait until I see that happen,” he shook his head again. He wouldn't stop shaking his head – like his thoughts were a fucking Etch-a-Sketch. “I don't wanna be there when ya wake up one morning and don't love me anymore.”

“No,” I crumbled. “No, no Finn. I won't do that. You're being fucking stupid. I'm promising you, Finn, I--”

“I've run away with people before, Sean,” he said to me – his face serious. He wasn't looking at me anymore. “I've been through it before. I won't go through it again. I'm better off on my own. I'm safer on my own.”

A horn honked. My mom was waiting. My brother was waiting.

“I _love_ you, though,” I pleaded. A final plea. A pointless plea. My efforts were waving. My heart was broken. “I'm promising you. Why don't you trust me?”

“Look,” he sighed and tears burst from his eyes again. “I can't go. You don't need me, anyway. You will do great, with everything. You'll forget all about me. We've been together a week. This is all new to you, and I do believe and trust what ya say – _right now –_ but I know people like you Sean and I know how this will end up. I believe you mean what you are saying at this moment but if I go with ya, yer feelings will change with time.”

Finn looked down into his lap, his eyes closed again and more tears spilled. He cried silently as I sobbed beside him. We said no more words for a moment.

“Go to your family,” he finally muttered. As if on queue, the car honked again.

I choked as I stood up slowly. Aggresively wiping tears from my eye, I adjusted myself beside him. My stomach ached. I couldn't believe this was happening.

I started to walk away, completely devastated. But I paused. I didn't turn to look at him. But I softly stated, “Eres mi alma gemela...” and walked to Karen's awaiting car for the long trip to Mexico. Without Finn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONLY ONE MORE PART TO GO! Will be up by next Friday, I promise! Don't forget you can find me on YOUTUBE TWITCH TWITTER INSTAGRAM TUMBLR all at ROSERIKU !


	5. Part Five: THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, the final part. Thanks for waiting, everyone!

**FINAL PART**

I sat on the porch, enjoying the warmth of the sun as I worked on my latest paper. I was getting close to finishing, and it was the last assignment before the Summer break, so there was excitement and anticipation burning in my fingers as I typed hurriedly, wanting to be DONE ALREADY so I could finally relax.

I'd been enrolled in online courses for a year, trying to get a degree in art history while working on the side with a friend I had made in Mexico shortly after arriving – we were working on a comic. I, the illustrator of course, and them the author. Her name was Alia and she reminded me quite a bit of Lyla, actually.

And about Lyla - I had been in contact with her. Through social media of course. We even talked on the phone a couple of times after she reported things had calmed down in Seattle. Daniel and I were chalked off to some Unsolved Mystery. The internet still buzzed about us once in a while on some Reddit pages, but that was about the gist of it.

We'd been residents of Puerto Lobos for around five years, give or take, by this point. We had done it; successfully gotten away and made ourselves safe.

Our biggest concern had just become keeping Daniel's powers at bay. But as he'd grown a little older, a little more mature, he'd mostly started to understand the importance of not fucking around. And I think the whole situation back in California had taught him how truly dangerous his powers could be – even if angry or scared. People could die. People could get hurt. People could lose an eye.

A lot of people in town referred to me as a pirate because of the eyepatch I had to wear. It had just become a part of who I was. The one-eyed artist, immigrated from America.

Daniel and I still stayed in touch with Karen. We talked to her on the phone every couple of weeks. For a while, she strongly kept us up to date on the news about us and our father – until there was less and less news – and then no news at all. The country had moved onto some other fiasco. As it always did. Collectively, media portrayed us as “most likely dead from extremities, somewhere, after trying to run away and be in hiding” which was hilarious to me, considering how resilient we were – but I was grateful they expected so little out of us as a whole.

And my Aunt Sonya, our legal guardian, was awesome. She was sassy, but one of the most kindhearted people you could ever meet. She never was able to have kids of her own, I guess. And she had been really close to Dad. I guess she met me briefly when I was a baby, too, but of course I couldn't remember that.

Sonya made an amazing caretaker. She genuinely cared about Daniel and I – stopping at nothing to give us a life from the second we showed up at her door.

I planned on staying with her another couple of years. Probably at least until I was about to get my degree, when I was more settled and could get an apartment to share with Daniel. That was the general goal in mind, anyway.

But everything was peaceful. And while I was grateful for the serenity and safe environment that Daniel and I were lucky to be brought into after the tragedies – in the back of my mind I was always missing that freedom that being out in the camp gave me, or traveling on foot all those miles with Finn. And God, I missed Finn. There had been flings since him of course. I couldn't just give up on the idea of being with anyone just because one person broke my heart and disappeared. But I couldn't shake that feeling that only _he_ had ever been able to give me. We had a connection that no one else came close to sharing as him and I did.

Almost every day, I wondered if he was okay, if he'd found his way back to Cass and the gang or if he had gone on a whole different adventure, found a new family to be with. I wished he'd chosen us as his new adventure – but I'd forgiven him. At first, I was pissed, I was upset. But after some time I thought about it and I couldn't really blame him. So much had happened between me and Finn so quickly, too quickly. Of course it fell apart just as fast. Of course he didn't want to follow a fugitive with a super-powered little brother to another country. Of course not. I was pathetic and frankly, immature to think he would run away and live happily ever after with us. I'd just been a stupid kid in love and I could fully admit that to myself after a while without him.

So, I'd moved on with my life. And things ended up pretty okay, considering.

* * *

Before I knew it, the middle of Summer had arrived. I sat in my bedroom, air conditioner blasting as I listened to some music on my phone and sketched out some drawings. Daniel was over at his friend's house and Aunt Sonya was at work. She worked at a local market as a manager so she was gone most weekdays. I had the place to myself and it was nice to relax and enjoy the alone time.

Until I realized I wasn't alone.

My headphones were in when I heard the first knock so I paused my music – wondering if I had imagined the noise or not. But then I heard it again.

Figuring it was one of our neighbors needing to borrow something (happened quite frequently) I popped up out of my bed and padded to the front door, swinging it open nonchalantly.

And there was Finn.

Every muscle in my body tensed up and my heart almost burst into flames right then in there. I'm sure I looked absolutely dumbstruck. I opened my mouth; most likely dropping my jaw; no idea what to say.

For the first moment or so, he was silent too. Nothing was uttered from either of us as we stood there in the doorway of my aunt's – staring at each other.

Clearly in contact with a lot of sun, Finn was a little more tan and his hair looked lightened in some spots since I'd last seen him. And speaking of his hair, it was longer – or maybe it was just the illusion of being longer because it wasn't in dreads. Wavy brown strands of hair fell to just above his collar bone, framing his face and accentuating his perfect cheekbones, still decorated with the face tattoos I'd missed so much.

A black shirt clung to his thin frame, a denim vest thrown over it. The vest was tattered, but fashionable in that way only Finn knew how to be.

“Um,” I felt the tightness in my throat from the shock and the nerves. I had no idea what to say or what was even happening or how this was even possible.

Finn sucked in a deep breath and cleared his throat. He looked like his was going to cry. I noticed the large bag slung over one of his arms, the strap digging into his shoulder. My heart hammered loudly and I was reminded of how he had used to make me feel, years back. During that short amount of time we were together.

“Lo siento mucho...” finally, he started. His voice low, strangled. ' _I'm so sorry.'_

He smirked and added, “I picked up some Espanol before comin' all tha way out here...”

When I didn't reply and could only continue to stare at him in disbelief, he continued, “Sean, I know this is way too late for me to say but I am so sorry. I regret every single day not following ya out here. I thought... I dunno what I thought, really. There was no excuse to hurt ya like that, to leave ya like that – not after how everything had gone down.” He was breathing heavily, catching my eye with his own, looking into me and not just _at_ me. “Every day after you left I thought about you. I almost came here so many times, always chickening out, always tellin' myself we wouldn't work out or that ya were better off without me, and maybe ya are, but...”

Finn took a step closer to me, and I couldn't take my eye off his face. I was barely breathing, could barely process that he was in front of me after all that time and saying all these things to me.

“You are the closest thing to a home I've ever had, Sweetie. I fucked up. Listen to me. Showin' up at your doorstep after years of not speakin' and expecting you to throw your arms around me 'n' forgive me like nothing ever happened... I'm a fucking mess. But fuck, I've thought about you every day and knew I needed to come back even if just to tell you how much I loved you – still do – and always will because yer my goddamn soulmate, Sean Diaz.” Unraveling emotionally, Finn dropped his shoulders and exhaled slowly. He looked away from my face and blinked away tears that had been welling in his eyes as he rambled his confession to me. “This was dumb,” he said suddenly. “I'm stupid. Sorry.”

Before he could turn away I reached out and grabbed his elbow. Where my fingertips met his skin sent a buzz through me. His face showed surprise, confusion, hopefulness...

“Wait,” I said to him, meekly. I still couldn't believe what was happening. It was all so fast. But everything about us had been fast and dramatic and messy. It was all we knew how to be together.

Pushing through my nerves, I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight. He was still for a moment before he put his arms around me. I could feel the strap of his bag rubbing against me as we hugged and he was so warm and still smelled of everything he used to smell like. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” I mumbled.

“Eres mi alma gamela,” he whispered. The last words I had said to him before we parted. _You are my soulmate_. “I had to find my way back to ya, even if just for a second” he added softly in my ear.

My chest tightened and I thought I was going to cry, but I pulled myself together and took a step back from him after the long embrace. “Every day I've thought about you, too,” I told him. “I don't think I ever stopped if I'm honest.”

Giving me a warm smile, he touched my face, just under my eyepatch. “We have a lot of time to make up for, Sweetie.”

Blushing, I changed the subject. “It's hot out here. Come in. No one's home right now, but Daniel will be back soon enough and I'm sure he'll be stoked to see you.”

“How's Daniel? He must be getting to be an actual adult now, huh?” Finn asked me casually as he followed me inside. You could feel the energy in the air – we were both trying to calm down. Failing. Hiding behind a usual exchange when all we wanted to do was make up for lost time, as he had said.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “He's doing great though, and my aunt's amazing.”

“I'm so glad ya guys got everything you deserved. I look at papers every day, and the news, hoping yer faces won't show up... I knew it died down a lot a couple years ago. They think you guys died out in the woods or some shit.”

“Yeah, luckily...” I replied, stepping into my bedroom. “So how the hell did you find out where exactly we were?”

“Your mum...” he said, his eyes shifting. “She was my only shot at finding you.”

I smiled and nodded. I was glad my mom knew to trust Finn. I'm sure she knew about his upcoming arrival since the last time I'd spoken to her, and she'd kept it a secret. The thought made me smile.

* * *

A week later and Finn had become familiar with all our neighbors, and Aila, who was completely floored when she met him.

“THIS IS _THE_ FINN?!” She had shrieked when she came over, and realized who I was introducing her to.

He was a part of the family already – like he always should have been.

When Daniel had come home that night, there was no beat of awkwardness or anything. He'd just shouted in delight and gave Finn a double high five and a loud cheer.

My aunt was immediately cool with him staying with us, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “You're an adult,” she told me. “You can have your boyfriend stay with you in your room, I ain't gonna split you two up!!” with a wink. Aunt Sonya was both charming and embarrassing. I loved her.

Finn and I were sitting on the beach not a far walk from our apartment. Drinking cocktails from the bar that the tourists all frequented on the beach. Coconut infused rum, naturally.

I glanced over at my boyfriend. He had a contented look on his face. When he caught me staring he leaned over and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth. With my toes in the sand, drink in my fingers, and him beside me – I felt a familiarity from those days relaxing on the camp in front of the fire. But this was different. This was home.

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for STICKING WITH ME (ha)  
> This was just a simple, quick story I had squirming in me that I needed to get out before the release of Episode Four! Only time will tell how everything's going to go when it releases - I have a feeling Sean & Finn won't be as much of a focused route as we are crossing our fingers for. 
> 
> As my usual spiel tends to go - feel free to find me or contact me on TWITCH, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM all under RoseRiku! I love making fandom friends. 
> 
> And just a heads up, my next fic will probably be Good Omens related instead of Life is Strange. But I will probably write something up again before or by the time Lis2 has an ending!


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